Cooperative Program

“…they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God's will.” 2 Corinthians 8:5b

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) exists for one reason: The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). In 1925, the SBC brought its resources together under one banner – the Cooperative Program (CP). Since that time, CP has grown to be one of the most effective and efficient ways of propelling the Gospel.

Here's how it works:

It begins with you. Out of gratitude and obedience to God for what He has done for you, you commit to give back to Him, through your church, a portion of what He provides. This is commonly called a tithe and represents 10% of your gross income (Leviticus 27:30, Malachi 3:10).

Your church decides the next step. The church congregation prayerfully decides how much of these gifts will be committed to reaching people in your state and around the world through the Cooperative Program. This amount is forwarded to your state Baptist convention.

During the annual state convention meeting, these CP gifts from churches are allocated in order to achieve maximum impact for the Gospel in their state.

When the SBC meets each year, representatives (messengers) from churches decide how to divide the balance of the churches’ gifts to impact people at home and around the world.

When resources from 16 million people in 45, 000 Southern Baptist churches are combined, the potential for maximum impact grows. The Bottom Line—People who are lost hear the Gospel and respond to God’s love.